Pricky Pear Cobbler

So this island here has Opuntia littoralis.  A species of Prickly Pear Cactus with delicious fruits.  Of the few things abundant on this arid rock prickly pear is one.  So I wanted to cook up something delicious.  I found a recipe posted online in 1976 in Mother Earth News, for a prickly pear pie.  The recipe instructions boggled my mind!  A pie with a pancake batter dough at the bottom that would surround the entire pie while cooking. News to me, but it sounded good.  I baked this as a surprise, but maybe I should have consulted with Emily first, and I would have know it was a cobbler that belonged in a shallow 9x13" pan.  Because of the depth of this dish (several inches) the crust was unable to bubble to the top.  Ah well, suppose I'll have to make it again for Thanksgiving.  The red cactus filling has been delicious as spread on toast, but I didn't like the texture of the goopy dough at the bottom of the dish.  But I do recommend trying this recipe yourself, but with a cobbler dish! 

PRICKLY PEAR PIE (VERSION 2) COBBLER!

3-1/2 cups of prickly pear pulp
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
1 stick of margarine or butter
1 cup of flour
1 cup of sugar (for crust)
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
To make filling: Place the pulp, cup of sugar, and water in a saucepan and boil (with stirring) until the sugar is completely dissolved ... then remove from heat and set aside.
Crust: begin by putting the  butter in a large baking casserole and placing the casserole— in turn—in the oven as it preheats to 350°. Then, in a clean bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, and vanilla together and pour the resulting mixture—which should have the consistency of pancake batter—into the hot casserole, atop the melted butter (Do not stir). Then—in the center of  the crust mixture—pour the filling. (Do not stir.)
Bake for about 30 minutes in a 350° oven. During the baking period, the batter for the crust will actually rise over and completely cover the pie's filling.  The pie is done when the crust is completely brown.

200910122044 transit

Its raining, first time I've seen it in months.  First part of the journey complete. 

Drinking Cervesa Cucapa chupacabras

Ride to town with carpool-goodbye to charlie.
woman behind me crying Boat to Dana Point, clear view of Clemente as we head in a south east route
Google maps-> walk from dock to train depot 4.0m
1m into the wrong direction and meet beach.  Three women turn me around and send me past PCH.  Past PCH, nervous as man in truck pulled over.  He has no business with me.  Nervous thinking about options-public transit I should have taken.

Serendipitous bus 91.  Route sign-Route # transit authority #-call, bus pulls up.  "How much for the bus, sir?" $1.50 Oh me oh my.  I have $1.50 in my pocket.

Three mile ride and a quick walk to the station.  Scope it out, no coffee shops.  But a bar--beer, that's what I wanted anyway.  Good pale ale Train at 2148. Enjoy beer.

Sunday Mornings

are for breakfast, books, and diana ross...

muscadines

i picked some grapes!

edelweiss

finished embroidering a napkin with an edelweiss, that has found a new home as charlie's handkerchief. It was fun, i think im going to make one for my roommate next. took a side road tonight on the way home and there was an owl sitting in the road, a car stopped and he flew up into a tree. I am a bit worried about him, he sat very still and let me walk up very close and take a picture (with flash sorry). I felt that he should have been a little more skittish, and it seemed unusual for him to be sitting in the road. i was at once happy with myself for keeping a camera in my backpack, and also upset because that camera is so terrible for nature photography.

my my in trouble again

spent the last week in the forest was quite nice. despite the wireless high-speed internet, i never did write, shame on me. and now this sad little girl is home and drunk again. my my distract me please from my circles and my sleeping, what to do what to do, with a little girl who wants to care.........

lunes noches

work. bike home. check email. sleep. cant sleep. work on moccasins. cat eats sinew. bike to kangaroo. piss. continue biking. almost hit raccoon with head stuck in can. dont know what to do. bike further almost hit opossum. silly opossum. crazy lady screams "have you seen the police?!?" her tone--a perfect fairy-tale cackle. never heard anything like it. i reply, "no ma'am." her reply, "oh well then...hahaha." stunned at five am by large old lady with her fairy-tale voice. continue biking. enter mothers house. attacked by a "tribble," of the repungent smelly variety. watch braveheart. all of it. lovely movie. blue war paint, nice kilts, dirty people. must love. movie ends. despite hatred for mel, i cry. update blog. time now--0841. sleep now maybe? or....manana?